Google+ Hits 300 Million Active Monthly “In-Stream” Users, 540 Million Across Google
As expected, Google touted the growth of its “social layer” Google+ during a special event today that also saw the introduction of 18 new features. — The big numbers that Google talked about are as follows:
Context & Ripple Effects
Google+ had moved from 62 million users in late 2011 to 100 million monthly active users by September 2012, but its reporting had also drawn calls for clearer engagement figures. The new split between 300 million monthly “in-stream” users and 540 million users across Google gives the social layer a more specific usage metric.
The figure arrives alongside 18 new features, making Google+ less a standalone audience claim than a product layer Google is continuing to build across its services.
First-order effects
- Google can present 300 million monthly in-stream users as a more engagement-focused measure than the broader 540 million figure across Google.
- The 18-feature release gives Google+ teams an immediate mandate to support and promote a wider set of social-layer functions.
Second-order effects
- Google’s distinction between in-stream activity and users reached across its services raises the bar for how it measures Google+ adoption, following earlier scrutiny over the absence of detailed usage figures.
Third-order effects
- If Google keeps expanding Google+ through its services, social participation becomes a property of the Google stack rather than a destination measured only by standalone membership.
The trend: Google is framing social growth around cross-service engagement, tying the value of Google+ to integration across its broader product stack.